MARCH 12YOU DUG ITBy E.C. McMullen Jr.BLACK PANTHER
Four straight weeks at #1 is a rarity even for Marvel Studios, but that's exactly what has happened with BLACK PANTHER. Embraced by a multi-racial audience that cuts across partisan lines, you are digging this movie which no doubt, has benefitted from becoming iconic (in the form of a wide variety of memes) before leaving the theaters.

Movies like this clearly show how important theaters remain to the motion picture industry.

So far Marvel Studios is the only motion picture company to repeatedly, successfully, present black superhero led movies to the world.

THE STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT
This sequel to 2008's THE STRANGERS (which went on to become a Horror classic among audiences), opens wide against powerful competition at a respectable #3 with a $10 mill. BO. Not bad for newbie mini studio, Aviron. This sequel has nothing to do with original creator Brian Bertino. He's not even given Executive Producer credit. Stars Christina Hendricks (LOST RIVER, THE NEON DEMON) and Damian Maffei (NIKOS THE IMPALER, GHOST LAKE, CLOSED FOR THE SEASON, CHRISTMAS WITH THE DEAD, I'M DREAMING OF A WHITE DOOMSDAY).

RED SPARROW
Against such stiff competition, Mystery Thriller, RED SPARROW moves from #2 to #4 this week. With a change of -49% this Thriller may still have legs. Stars Jennifer Lawrence (HUNGER GAMES [all], X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET, THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, X-MEN: APOCALYPSE, PASSENGERS, MOTHER!).

You'll notice, however, that Sony is trotting out its venerable 1984 GHOSTBUSTERS and not the marketing manufactured scandal dud that was 2016 GHOSTBUSTERS.

After a particularly brutal home video opening that guaranteed the movie absolutely did not appeal to "little girls who wanted their own hero", 2016 GHOSTBUSTERS has become GHOSTBUSTERS: ANSWER THE CALL.

Whatevs.

Despite spending decades trying to destroy their cash cow, Sony/Columbia Pictures is finally getting back to treasuring one of the most profitable jewels in their crown. The 1984 original.

IN OTHER BOOKS
E.C. McMullen Jr.'s
short story
CEDO LOOKED LIKE PEOPLE
in the anthologyFEAR THE REAPER
"This Ray Bradbury-esque is one of the most memorable and one of the more original stories I've read in a long time."
- Amazon Review

E.C. McMullen Jr. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
THANKS FOR READING!